Decision time as Blades Brown, 19, earns special temporary status on PGA Tour

McKINNEY, Texas — Blades Brown earned unlimited sponsor exemptions for the rest of the PGA Tour season when the 19-year-old tied for 14th at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday.

Brown needed a finish at least as high as alone in 21st place to qualify for what’s called special temporary membership. He shot 4-under 67 in the final round at TPC Craig Ranch and finished at 18 under.

Advertisement

After graduating from high school in January, Brown was in the final group with Scottie Scheffler and Si Woo Kim in The American Express that same month. He faded late on the back nine and tied for 18th.

Brown — from Nashville, Tennessee — also had the lead on the back nine at the Puerto Rico Open before taking a triple bogey from the water and finishing third.

After turning pro last year, Brown — whose mother, Rhonda Blades, played in the WNBA — is 13th in Korn Ferry Tour points and can earn a PGA Tour card for next year with a top-20 finish.

There are eight potential PGA Tour events Brown could play, along with a Korn Ferry schedule. It’s likely he will do both.

Advertisement

“I know my route to the PGA Tour is a very uncommon route,” Brown said after finishing the Nelson. “It’s mainly because of my parents. They’ve been my biggest supporters. I think (my dad has) missed about two events in my entire life, and he believed in me whenever I didn’t believe in myself.”

CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026 prize money: Full payout from $10.3 million purse

Here’s a look at how the $10.3 million purse was paid out at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.